Track and field

I’m not saying that Iowa baseball isn’t a great program, but Hawkeye track and field simply offers more to watch for sports fans, even if baseball at the national level is the more popular choice.

For starters, there’s the fact that baseball at Iowa is a men’s sport, with softball being the women’s equivalent. The programs both have their strengths, but there are clear differences between the sports, such as pitching style, field and ball size, and game duration.

Track and field, on the other hand, while represented by differing men’s and women’s teams, is largely consistent as a sport, meaning that anyone can watch or play it without having to learn new rules or techniques.

Iowa track and field may not be as well-known as baseball, but the program offers a little bit of everything. More than that, the athletes who make up the programs showcase versatility in these different areas, meaning whether you want to watch running, throwing, or jumping, you can find an athlete in black and gold to root for. 

Want to watch someone throw a heavy object as far as they can? Ryan Johnson, on Feb. 9, was named the Division I Men’s National Athlete of the Week by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association. The junior broke his own record in the weight throw at the Iowa State Classic with a 24.99-meter throw.

Maybe you’d rather watch a sprinting event, like the 200-meter. Look no further than sophomore Chioma Nwachukwu, a native of Asaba, Nigeria, whose 23.43 was a personal best at the Larry Wieczorek Invitational on Jan. 23, as well as fifth in program history.

If you asked the average American which sport they follow the most, baseball would admittedly be a popular answer. But in Iowa City, track and field offers inclusivity, more diverse events, and more Hawkeyes to root for, making it the best spring sport that Iowa has to offer.

Baseball

When it comes to arguing for Iowa’s best spring sport, choosing baseball is a home run every at bat. It’s America’s pastime when it comes to sports, which is nowhere near track and field. 

Now don’t get me wrong, track and field is a good sport to watch, but when I look at my spring schedule, I have to weigh whether: (A) I want to go and sit in the stands watching athletes run in a circle, jump over hurdles, and throw a very heavy ball for three plus hours, or (B) sit in the stands and watch two teams battle it out on a turf field with players trying to hit a ball with a bat for around three hours. As I will remind you, many have dubbed it the hardest athletic thing to do. 

In my opinion, it is not a hard choice. I personally would love to see a batter try to hit a home run and strike out than a runner run in a circle for a varying metric distance. 

Track and field may have a multitude of opportunities to see athletes strive on a personal level, but baseball has that as well. Many kids across the world watch college baseball to improve their own skills at a specific position. 

In the outfield, for example, kids can see Iowa’s Kellen Strohmeyer and Miles Risley rob batters of home runs and maybe even see one of them throw out a runner at home to win or save the game. 

No one can go wrong with a 4-6-3 double play on the diamond with the help of Gable Mitchell, Kooper Schulte, and Caleb Wulf to end an inning. 

And when it comes to the mound, everyone can get hyped up when a pitcher is throwing a no-hitter, or even on the very rare occasion, a perfect game. 

But hey, who am I to make you choose not to spend your spring afternoons possibly inside watching track and field, but rather walk the small distance up the hill to the beautiful Duane Banks Field for a nice, cool spring afternoon baseball game?